"Ah, come on," Mr. Mason said. "He won't bite you." He led the way up
the steps of the porch and into the lounge and over to where a small,
mustachioed man, wearing eyeglasses and appearing to be in his late
forties, was working a crossword puzzle in the morning paper.
"Mr. Steariot," Mr. Mason said, "I should like you to meet Mr. and Mrs.
Daniels, also guests here. They have just seen your saucer."
"Charmed," Mr. Steariot said, and got to his feet. He shook hands with
Fred Daniels. "Are you here for a long stay, Mr. Daniels?"
"I'm not sure," Fred said, a little unhappily. "Mr. Mason told us you
were from Venus."
"I told them about you, Mr. Steariot," Mr. Mason said. "Naturally, they
don't believe it any more than anybody else."
"No reason why they should," Mr. Steariot said amiably. "No reason in
the world, if I may coin a phrase. Dr. Phelps at the Institute didn't
believe it either."
Mr. Mason said, "Mr. Steariot here had a long interview with Dr. Phelps
of the Geophysical Institute at Princeton when he first arrived here on
Earth with us."
"Oh," Fred said. He gazed uncomfortably at Mr. Steariot. "We didn't
mean to interrupt you."
"I was only doing the crossword puzzle," Mr. Steariot said. "Do you
know a two-letter word for sun-god?"